1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to single element printer carriers. More specifically, this invention deals with a print element and ribbon cartridge carrier which is mountable, translatable, and adjustable upon a printer carrier.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Any number of single element printers are available in the marketplace today. The most common fall into the golf ball and daisy wheel categories. Typical of the golf ball printers are those utilized in the IBM Mag Card "Selectric"* Typewriter and IBM Mag Card II Typewriter systems. The printers in both of these systems have a carrier carrying a print element which is tiltable and rotatable for printing. The basic distinction between the carriers in the above mentioned systems is that escapement in the first is rack and pawl controlled, whereas in the latter escapement is pawl and leadscrew controlled. FNT *Registered Trademark--International Business Machines Corporation.
Somewhat typical of the daisy wheel printers on the market today is that used in the IBM 6240 Mag Card Typewriter system. The printer of this system has a carrier carrying a selection motor and a ribbon cartridge. The selection motor has a hub to which is connected a daisy wheel print element. The print element is rotatable for character selection during printing.
In the printers mentioned above, adjustment to provide for paper handling and to obtain a desired quality of printing is somewhat complicated and time consuming. This is the case during both assembly and repair.
Other prior art related to daisy wheel printers include U.S. patent application Ser. No. 767,250 to Bogert et al. (now U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,335), filed Feb. 10, 1977, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,312 to Johnson. In both of these references, a carrier is disclosed for carrying a daisy wheel print element housed in a cartridge, a ribbon cartridge, and a selection motor.
Not shown or utilized in any of the above mentioned prior art is a print element and ribbon cartridge carrier which is mountable along with a selection motor on a motor carrier, adjustable along with the motor for proper orientation relative to a platen, permits independent translation of the motor toward and away from the platen, and is adjustable toward and away from the platen to control the spacing between the motor and a print element, and the platen. In contrast, each of these features are attributable to the carrier of this invention in order to accommodate paper handling and obtain high quality printing.